Flow rate meter

Abstract

A device for determining the flow rate of a liquid flowing from an open discharge. The liquid is directed into a bucket with a first sensor located low in the bucket and second sensor located high in the bucket. The volume of the bucket between the sensors is known. The first and second sensors when in contact with the liquid start and stop an electronic timer respectively. The flow rate is determined by dividing the time measured into the known volume. In the preferred embodiment, the calculations are performed electronically and the results display on a digital liquid crystal display.

I claim: 
     
       1. A device for determining the rate of flow of a liquid effluent from an open discharge comprising: (a) a volume means of known capacity adapted to receive and hold the liquid;   (b) a funnel means;   (c) an equalizer tube, partially disposed within the volume means, with an upper and a lower portion, the upper portion defining a plurality of side openings and being adapted to receive the effluent from the funnel means and discharge the effluent into the volume means through the side openings, the lower portion being isolated from the upper portion by a deflector means and being adapted to receive the effluent such that the level of effluent in the equalizer tube is the same as the mean level of effluent in the volume means;   (d) an outlet means for equalizing the gaseous pressure within the lower portion of the equalizer tube to the ambient pressure;   (e) a first sensor means disposed within the lower portion of the equalizer tube and operative to produce an electrical signal when the effluent is first introduced into the volume means;   (f) a second sensor means disposed within the lower portion of the equalizer tube and operative to produce an electrical signal when the effluent has completely filled the volume means;   (g) a timer means to determine the time interval between the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 and in addition an electronic means for receiving the time interval information and calculating a flow rate of the liquid effluent in terms of volume units per time units, and a display means for displaying the flow rate. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2 wherein the electronic calculating means is a microprocessor. 
     
     
       4. the device of claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein the display means is a liquid crystal display unit.